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Funding and achievement - and how transparent and respectful board members are when making decisions on subjects like those - are the top issues in the Scranton School Board race.

Six candidates are running for four seats on the board, which are all four-year terms. Two candidates are running for one two-year seat.

For the four-year seats, Robert Casey, Cy Douaihy, Mark McAndrew and Bob Sheridan are running on the Democratic ticket, and Mr. Douaihy, Mr. Sheridan, Carol Oleski and Bob Lesh are running on the Republican ticket.

Mr. Lesh is also running on the Republican ticket for the two-year seat against Kyle Donahue, who is running as a Democrat.

Only three candidates - Mr. Lesh, Mr. Sheridan and Mr. Douaihy - are currently on the board.

Mr. Casey, 23, said his age can benefit him as a school director.

"I just came through the system. I know what worked and what didn't work," he said.

He wants to see programs added to the high schools, including a course on time management. He also wants to see the district share services with the city and improve its transparency by posting meeting minutes and agendas on the district website in a timely fashion.

"People say they're ready for youth, ready for change," he said.

Mr. Donahue said he wants to bring respect and transparency to the board.

"When you open the paper in the morning, you're embarrassed by how they act and how they deal with each other," he said.

He also wants to create an anti-nepotism policy and to have every job advertised, at least on the district's website, but preferably in the newspaper.

The district's current nepotism policy permits the hiring of relatives as long as the relationship is disclosed and the board member is disqualified from voting on the potential hire.

Since Mr. Douaihy was appointed to the board in April, he said he has learned what a "huge enterprise" the district is - far more encompassing than what he was exposed to as a teacher. He said he is proud of the administrative hiring policy he helped create and hopes to update the teacher interview process, including updating hiring lists once a year, instead of once every three years.

One of his biggest priorities is addressing the overcrowding of South Scranton elementary schools and, if a new school near Nay Aug Park is built, making sure it is designed with the students' best interests in mind.

Mr. Lesh is seeking his fifth term on the school board and said funding and adopting the new Common Core standards are key issues for the district. In his time on the board, he is most proud of building the new Scranton High School, along with the $60 million renovation and construction projects completed a few years ago. He is also proud of finding a way to keep full-day kindergarten and preschool when faced with major state cuts, along with saving money through a health care consultant and energy contacts.

If elected to another term, he would like to create an anti-nepotism policy that would prohibit the hiring of family of board members or administrators.

Mr. McAndrew said funding is the district's biggest hurdle, and that the board must avoid tax increases while still providing teachers with necessary tools to increase student achievement.

"We need to try to reduce costs while putting the focus on the classroom," he said.

Mrs. Oleski said student achievement is her biggest concern and that all funding must be used for items that directly impact education. The district must also employ a grant writer to apply for funds and to try to buy supplies in bulk with other districts.

"We could save a lot of money," she said.

Mrs. Oleski would also like to see more involvement from parents and taxpayers, and when a major issue arises, that meetings are scheduled with anyone who would be affected.

Mr. Sheridan, who is seeking his second term, said he wants to continue to make sure schools are safe and look at ways to "cut waste out of the budget." He wants to look at the way supplies are purchased and how copy machines are leased.

He also said he will work to make sure taxes are not increased. A quality school district is key to growing the city, and higher taxes will destroy neighborhoods, he said.

"We can't keep affording raising our taxes and raising our taxes," he said. "If you keep on raising, people move out of town."

Education: Scranton High School, pursuing degree from East Stroudsburg University in interdisciplinary studies, including business management, history and political science. Will graduate in the spring.

Employment: Customer service at Gerrity's on Meadow Avenue

Kyle Donahue

Age: 27

Party: Democratic

Family: Single; son of Daniel Donahue and Elizabeth Nealon

Education: Graduate of Temple University, with degrees in political science and public communication; Bishop Hannan High School

Employment: Self-employed as a political consultant

Experience: Staff member of Vice President Joe Biden's Senate re-election campaign in 2008, worked on election campaigns of state Sen. John Yudichak and U.S. Rep. Chris Carney.

Education: Scranton School District GED, welding certificate from Johnson School of Technology, trowel trades and building maintenance certificates from the Career Technology Center

Employment: COLTS bus driver

Experience: Four terms on the Scranton School Board; Marine Corps veteran; past vice president of 20th Ward Social and Athletic Club; member of the O'Neill Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians; social member of the German American Federation; social member of the Tauras and Polish clubs.

Experience: Acting president of the Scranton School Board; president of the Dutch Hollow Neighborhood Association; secretary of the Scranton Police Officers Memorial Fund

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